dbed_vmclonedb - create or shutdown a clone database using snapshot volumes from a primary database

dbed_vmclonedb -S ORACLE_SID
-o mount | mountdb | recoverdb | restartdb,
new_sid=new_sid,server_name=svr_name -f SNAPPLAN
[ -H ORACLE_HOME ] [ -p pfile_modification_file ]
[ -r relocate_path ]

dbed_vmclonedb -o update_status | umount,new_sid=new_sid,
server_name=svr_name -f SNAPPLAN [ -r relocate_path ]

Veritas Storage Foundation. To determine whether this product is installed on the system, enter:

 rpm -qa | grep VRTSdbed

The dbed_vmclonedb command imports the snapshot disk group/groups, mounts the file systems on the snapshot volumes, and starts a clone database. It can also reverse the process by shutting down the Oracle database, unmounting the file systems, and deporting the snapshot volumes.

The server_name parameter must specify the host on which the Oracle instance ORACLE_SID runs.

The snapshot image is created by the dbed_vmsnap command on the primary host.

When the -o recoverdb option is used, the clone database is recovered automatically, using all available archive logs. As a good practice, it is recommended to remove the old archive logs after the cloning process is completed.

Caution: When creating a clone database, all Storage Checkpoints in the original database are discarded.

If the -o mountdb option is used, you can perform point-in-time recovery manually (this requires that you locate all the necessary logs).

If the clone database is down as a result of using dbed_vmclonedb -o umount or rebooting the system, you can restart it with the -o restartdb option.

When you are done using the clone database, dbed_vmclonedb with the -o umount option can shut it down, unmount all snapshot file systems and deports the snapshot diskgroup/diskgroups.

The -p pfile_modification_file allows modification to the memory-related parameters of the clone databasea\k:^XXs initialization parameter file. See Veritas Storage Foundation: Storage and Availability Management for Oracle Databases Guide for the complete list of parameters that may be modified. The format of the pfile_modification_file is the same as the Oracle initialization parameter file. Any parameter matching one found in the primary databasea\k:^XXs initialization parameter file will be replaced with the corresponding value from the pfile_modification_file. Any parameter not found will be added to the clone databasea\k:^XXs pfile.

The Veritas Database FlashSnap functionality provides both snapshot status information and snapshot database status information for various stages of snapplan and snapshot procedures. You can obtain both the snapshot status and the database status from the command line using the dbed_vmchecksnap command with the -o list option. The snapshot status and database status information may also appear in error messages. For a complete list of status values, see the Veritas Storage Foundation for Oracle Database Administratora\k:^XXs Guide, Appendix C.

The following options are supported:

-S ORACLE_SID	Specifies the name of the Oracle database for which a snapshot image will be created.
-o	Specifies snapshot image options: mount | mountdb | recoverdb | restartdb Specifies what to do with the snapshot image. The -o mount option mounts the file systems so you can use them to do a backup. The -o mountdb option starts and mounts the database to allow manual database recovery. The -o recoverdb option recovers the database automatically. The -o restartdb option restarts the clone database if it is down. A clone database must exist to use the -o restartdb option. update_status | umount The -o update_status option updates the database status information in the SFDB repository. This option is only required when the clone database is recovered manually (that is, when -o mountdb is used). The -o umount option shutdown the clone database and unmounts all snapshot file systems. If the clone database is in a two-host configuration, the -o umount option also deports the snapshot file systems.
new_sid=new_sid	Specifies the name of the clone database.
server_name=svr_name	Specifies the host on which the primary Oracle instance runs.
-H ORACLE_HOME	Specifies the ORACLE_HOME setting for the ORACLE_SID database.
-f SNAPPLAN	Indicates the name of the snapplan used by dbed_vmsnap.
-p pfile_modification_file	Specifies a file containing initialization parameters to be modified or added to the clone databasea\k:^XXs initialization parameter file prior to startup. The format of the pfile_modification_file is the same as that of the Oracle initialization parameter file.
-r relocate_path	Specifies the initial mount point for the snapshot image. This is an optional argument. If this option is not given, a relocate path is generated automatically to mount the snapshot. The system administrator needs to create and change the owner of this mount point to Oracle DBA. The dbed_vmclonedb command will fail if Oracle DBA does not have access rights to this mount point or relocate_path is already a mounted filesystem.

In the following example, a clone of the primary database is automatically created on the same host as the primary database:

 $ /opt/VRTS/bin/dbed_vmclonedb -S PROD -o recoverdb,new_sid=NEWPROD,server_name=host1 -f snap1 -r /clone
 Retrieving snapshot information ... done.
 Importing snapshot diskgroups ... done.
 Mounting snapshot volumes ... done.
 Preparing parameter file for clone database ... done.
 Mounting clone database ... done.
 Starting database recovery ...
 Clone database NEWPROD is open.

In this example, file systems are mounted and a clone database is created without recovering the clone database. The clone database must be manually recovered before it can be used. This example is for a clone created on the same host as the primary database:

 $ /opt/VRTS/bin/dbed_vmclonedb -S PROD -o mountdb,new_sid=NEWPROD,server_name=host1 -f snap1 -r /clone
 Retrieving snapshot information ... done.
 Importing snapshot diskgroups ... done.
 Mounting snapshot volumes ... done.
 Preparing parameter file for clone database ... done.
 Mounting clone database ... done.

The snapshot status (database_recovered) is updated for a clone database on the primary host after manual recovery has been completed:

 $ /opt/VRTS/bin/dbed_vmclonedb -o update_status,new_sid=NEWPROD,server_name=host1 -f snap1 -r /clone

* Real Application Clusters (RAC) Considerations

RAC is not supported on some SF products/configurations. For details please refer to the Veritas Storage Foundation: Storage and Availability Management for Oracle Databases Guide.

dbed_vmclonedb must be run as the Oracle DBA user and must be run on the secondary host specified in the snapplan. The user ID of Oracle DBA and the group ID of the Oracle DBA group need to be the same as the primary database.

Before creating the clone database, the system administrator first needs to create the initial mount point for the snapshot image (as in -r relocate_path) and change the owner of this mount point to Oracle DBA. If -r relocate_path is not specified when creating the clone database on a secondary host in a two-host configuration, all corresponding file system mount points from the primary host need to be created and their owner needs to be set to Oracle DBA.

The dbed_vmclonedb command runs without interaction from the user.

dbed_vmchecksnap(1M), dbed_vmsnap(1M), vxsfadm-oracle-flashsnap(1M)

Veritas Storage Foundation: Storage and Availability Management for Oracle Databases Guide

Veritas Storage Foundation for Oracle RAC Installation and Configuration Guide